Virgil Reid, left, and his wife, Robin, look through their son Eric's writing folder during Back to School Night at R.P. Connor Elementary School in Suffern. / Angela Gaul/The Journal News

Written by

Diana Costello

The Journal News

In 2006, about one in five people in the Lower Hudson Valley was of school age. Estimates by county:

- Putnam had 18,500 residents ages 5 to 17 out of a total population of 100,603.- Rockland had 57,700 school-age residents out of 294,965.- Westchester had 173,000 out of 949,355.

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What makes for an ideal education in today's world? Recent conversations with people throughout the Lower Hudson Valley reveal a complex - and contradictory - picture of what the public demands from the public schools. Their bottom line: The importance of education cannot be overstated.

"It's a human goal," said Mary Yoo, 52, a mother of three from Bronxville. "We need to impart certain skills to the next generation, and they need to work on it and transmit that body of knowledge to the next generation. I don't want to get too philosophical, but knowledge is important for all of us."

A question of balance

At the most basic level, the public insists that schools provide havens for learning. At the point of graduation, the expectation is that students will be equipped to contribute to society. In many ways, the wants and wishes that build up beyond those two points are unique to each community.

Some demand that schools bridge the achievement gap between white and minority students. Others count on the schools to provide a rich exposure to the arts. Still others look to build the best sports programs.

Inevitably, however, the conversation turns to money. Taxpayers have the final say on spending each year at the polls, which keeps officials focused on striking a balance between programs and costs.

What communities are willing and able to fund ranges widely in the Lower Hudson Valley, with the lowest average residential property-tax bill in Peekskill at $1,823 and the highest in Bronxville at $17,274 in 2005-06, according to an analysis by The Journal News and School Evaluation Services, a research and analysis business run by Standard & Poor's.

No one ever looks forward to paying more taxes. Yet many say they are willing to foot the bill because better schools may translate into higher property values should the time come to sell. This view helps explain why most local districts pass their budgets, despite steadily rising taxes.

"When your schools lose their appeal, your property values fall," said Robert Geddes, 61, a retired teacher from Kent. "People are too nearsighted when they're talking about high taxes. They fail to look at the long vision. And I understand that. You have to pay taxes today, but you want to sell your house tomorrow."

Local residents' willingness to invest in public schools is mirrored nationwide, according to a new survey by the Program on Education Policy and Governance's Education Next at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

Most Americans think spending on public education should increase; 38 percent think it should remain the same; just 10 percent want cuts. Support for additional spending is highest among African-Americans, Hispanics and current and former public school employees, with more than 60 percent of each of those groups calling for increases in public school budgets, according to the survey.

Controversial measures

Taxpayers do have certain measures to gauge whether their money is producing results.

State test scores are one option, and - just as with taxes - there is great regional variation.

"I think you definitely pay for what you get," said Carolyn Richer, 36, who moved to top-performing Briarcliff Manor from Mount Vernon for the schools. "We try to deal with (the cost) just for the sake of the school."

Yet relying on state tests to paint a picture of student achievement often puts teachers, parents, pundits and politicians on edge, because the stakes are so high and the results so publicized.

The federal No Child Left Behind law mandated that schools test students in reading and math in grades three through eight, plus once again in high school. Failure to meet certain standards results in increasingly severe sanctions.

Students in economically disadvantaged communities have the hardest time passing those tests.

While educators in some of these schools stand firmly behind the testing movement, saying it forces the public to care about poor students of color, others lament the strict mandates. The requirement that schools test English-language learners after only one year of enrollment in the U.S. school system is particularly troubling for some.

Still, closing the achievement gap between white and minority students has become a major, perhaps even the most important, mission for many educators and parents.

"This is so fundamental," said Jackie Fernandez, 45, a New York City teacher who moved to Nyack for the schools.

State tests can stir controversy in wealthier districts, too. Some educators and parents say the tests measure what students should know, and so are useful tools for shaping the curriculum. Others say schools should push students way beyond state tests, and they worry the testing frenzy is doing away with more meaningful instruction.

"The creativity is gone," said Victoria Woisin, 48, whose three children attend White Plains schools. "It just took the fun out of it."

Beyond the tests

What about those aspects of an education not measured by tests - things like music and theater programs, a commitment to cultural awareness, or sports programs, fields and equipment? These are just as important to many parents.

And school officials know it.

So when crafting the curriculum, educators are mindful to bring lessons beyond the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic.

In this respect, the goal is to stimulate students, encouraging them to pursue active learning and discover their passions.

Scarsdale students, for example, are spending the year exploring the fine and performing arts with integrated lessons throughout the curriculum, thanks to a partnership with Lincoln Center. Rye Neck Middle School students recently got a live tai chi demonstration as they explored ancient Chinese civilizations. Croton Harmon High School is among a number of schools in the area offering Mandarin lessons.

It's all part of providing what many see as a "well-rounded" education.

"Whatever school you send your children to, whether public or private, you want them to be exposed to everything," said Chip Nanko, 43, a firefighter from Hartsdale whose two daughters attend Catholic school.

Even the fundamentals of ethics and citizenship are expected to be expounded.

Unavoidable discontent

It's unavoidable that someone at some point is going to be upset.

One family gets door-to-door busing, another doesn't. One student gets speech therapy, another doesn't. The list could go on.

But the one underlying complaint, especially because local taxes have risen steadily during the past decade, is that residents increasingly are feeling tapped out, even in some of the region's relatively affordable districts.

Clarkstown resident Dennis Covert said he trusts administrators to spend wisely and thinks the schools give his son an excellent education. But taxes take a substantial chunk out of his pocket.

"I feel I pay a lot of taxes," said Covert, 40, a science teacher in the district. "I think almost wherever you go, people are going to be concerned about their tax rate."

Go to Pleasantville, and the concern has boiled over for some residents.

"If taxes keep going the way they're going, they're going to be chasing people out of their homes," said Al Antaki, 83, a retired lingerie maker. He values education, he said, but struggles to afford it.

A global future

Ultimately, local residents are standing behind the public schools. Most say the road ahead requires that today's youth attend college, though some also say higher education is not for everyone.

"It's extremely important because life is getting harder," said Sarah Ratcliff, 36, a saleswoman from Nyack whose son is in pre-kindergarten. "It's absolutely necessary, unless you're a born rock star, because that's what guarantees placement in the work force and how they will be able to sustain a living."

Driving the local conversation about higher education is the idea that graduates will compete in a global economy -and must be able to keep up.

"The point is that our future is with our children," said Angel Ramos, 46, of Ossining, who works as the village's library clerk and has no children. "If we don't give them the education to face the next 100 years, we're going to lag behind. Right now, we're the global power, and we cannot afford to lag behind. Knowledge is power."